I'd like to be able to type the Hebrew searches, while using the layout same as the Israeli keyboard layout (a=ש, s=ד and so on).
I've installed the SBL Keyboard, but yet that is a gibberish which comes out of those types.
Somebody did something in the area? Suggestions?
Thanks.

Adelphos

06-04-2006, 06:01 PM

...but yet that is a gibberish which comes out of those types.

Yuri,

There was a problem with the Hebrew keyboard earlier. What version are you using? In the latest PREVIEW version I still had the same problem with the keyboard, but with the regular latest version "v" (I believe) the problem went away.

I don't know about the SBL keyboard though. That may be another issue, but in the meantime, you might make sure you are using the latest version and see if that does the trick.

Actually, I'd like to use the regular Israeli keyboard layout myself, so if you get it worked out for BW, please let us know.

Charlie

06-07-2006, 11:00 AM

There seems to be some confusion regarding Unicode support in BibleWorks 7. Hopefully this will clarify:

1. You can type using Unicode Greek or Hebrew into the BibleWorks 7 Editor only. When you are using a Unicode font you can use any of a number of keyboard layouts provided by Microsoft or other vendors. All of these layouts are handled by Windows rather than individual applications like BibleWorks. BibleWorks 7 does however ship with a Unicode Hebrew keyboard driver that allows you to type Unicode Hebrew characters using the same keyboard layout used by the BibleWorks non-Unicode Hebrew font (bwhebb.ttf). For instructions on how to install this keyboard driver see the last section of chapter 25 in the BibleWorks 7 online help (click Help>Online Help Contents).

2. You cannot currently type Unicode Greek or Hebrew in any other part of the program other than the Editor. All parts of BibleWorks other than the Editor use the BibleWorks non-Unicode fonts (bwgrkl.ttf and bwhebb.ttf). These fonts were designed to allow all users on any operating system to share documents containing Greek or Hebrew and to make typing in Greek or Hebrew very simple for the majority of our users. (If you know the Greek or Hebrew alphabets you generally type the logical Latin character on your keyboard. For instance, to type a or a type a; to type b or b type b. To type the command .ihsouj cristoj simply type .ihsous cristos. To type the command .~yhla hwhy simply type .yhwh alhym.) For more about thsese fonts including keyboard layouts click here (http://www.bibleworks.com/fonts.html).

3. You can set BibleWorks 7 to automatically convert Greek and Hebrew text into Unicode when it is copied/exported from BibleWorks by doing the following:

NOTE: Not all Unicode fonts are up to date and therefore not all will work for all text (especially Hebrew text containing accents). We therefore recommend that you use the "SBL Hebrew" Unicode font that comes with BibleWorks 7 for Hebrew and the "Palatino Linotype" Unicode font that comes with Windows for Greek. Of course in theory all Unicode fonts are supposed to work, but that ideal does not yet exist.

Click Tools>Options and go to the Fonts tab.
Select "Export Fonts" under Font Set to Edit.
Then change the Hebrew font to "SBL Hebrew," the Greek font to "Palatino Linotype" and make sure you check the Unicode check box to the left of both Hebrew and Greek. See screenshot. Click OK and BibleWorks will from now on convert all Greek and Hebrew text to Unicode text when you copy/export.

Adelphos

06-07-2006, 12:06 PM

There seems to be some confusion regarding Unicode support in BibleWorks 7. Hopefully this will clarify...

That was very helpful for an overall understanding, Charlie. Thank you.

While the BW keyboard does appear to be intuitive for Hebrew in a generic sense, it is not intuitive to those of us who are used to the Israeli keyboard.

For example, in BW you type a for a while on the Israeli keyboard you type t for a, and so forth.

Of course, it is purely a matter of preference, and certainly goes back to which keyboard you began with. That is, those who began typing Hebrew on an Israeli keyboard layout will prefer that layout, while those who began typing Hebrew on a BW keyboard will prefer that layout, generally speaking.

Having said all that, I believe it would be in BW's best interest to provide a font and/or keyboard based on the Israeli keyboard layout since this layout has become more or less universal, and -- if a true standard is ever reached -- odds are that it will be the Israeli keyboard layout.

It seems that you could map the BWHEBB font to the Israeli layout and simply rename it, or something like that. Perhaps there are only a small number of us who would prefer this at present, but it might pay dividends to BW in the long run, FWIW.

yugu

06-07-2006, 04:35 PM

Thanks Charlie for a full answer.
I agree with αδελφοσ though, that the option of Israeli layout would be very useful for some of the BW user. That one especially in the command line. And if the SBL's Tiro keyboard would be the case - that would be simply fantastic for a vowel/accent oriented searches!